HAMMOND, La. – A 10-hit attack backed up a complete-game one-hit shutout by senior Rachel Hayes, as Southeastern Louisiana blanked Central Arkansas, 8-0, in the rubber game of a Southland Conference softball series Saturday afternoon at North Oak Park.  
 
Southeastern (30-17, 14-7 Southland) stayed a game out of the Southland Conference lead with its seventh win in its past eight games. The win over the visiting Bears (24-21, 12-9 SLC) gave the Lady Lions their fifth 30-win season in school history and moved SLU within striking distance of the single-season school record of 32 wins set by the 2013 team.
 
Hayes (13-7) continued her brilliant stretch, allowing just a fourth-inning single by sophomore Kaylyn Shepherd and walking two in her third complete-game shutout of the season. The Ocean Springs, Mississippi is 10-2 with a 1.80 ERA in Southland Conference play and has won 11 of her last 13 decisions.
 
Senior Maddie Edmonston led the Southeastern offensive attack, finishing 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Senior Kinsey Nichols added two RBI, while sophomore Ali McCoy had two hits and junior Jaquelyn Ramon scored two runs.
 
Southeastern got all the offense it would need by batting around in a five-run second inning versus UCA freshman starter Maddy Prough (2-2). Junior Rebecca Skains drew a leadoff walk and was replaced on the base paths by freshman Anna Rodenberg. Rodenberg advanced to second on a passed ball and scored when Shepherd misplayed a grounder by sophomore Mattie Ort.
 
Ort moved up on a single by McCoy, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Grace DeLee, then scored when senior Alli Daigle lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center. After a Ramon walk, Edmonston laced a double into the left centerfield gap to score McCoy and Ramon. Edmonston would come home on an RBI single by Nichols to give SLU a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
SLU padded its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ramon reached on a bunt single and moved all the way to third on a throwing error. An infield single by Edmonston scored Ramon. Edmonston then stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nichols to stake Southeastern to a 7-0 lead.
 
Hayes walked two in the first and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. She shook off Shepherd's one-out single by retiring the final eight batters she faced.
 
Southeastern enforced the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth inning. Edmonston singled, stole her team-high 36^th base of the season, advanced to third on a Nichols ground out and scored on an RBI by senior Mahalia Gibson to secure the run-rule.
 
Southeastern will close out its home schedule with a 5 p.m. non-conference contest versus Southern on Tuesday at North Oak Park. LionVision subscribers will be able to access a live video stream at www.LionSports.net/watch.
 
Tuesday will be Local Appreciation Night at North Oak Park, as first responders, service members and military personnel will receive discounted admission with presentation of valid ID.
 
Tuesday will also be a Cane's Challenge. If the Lady Lions score two or more runs, fans can take their game ticket or student coupon to their local participating Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers by the end of business on Wednesday to receive a free combo with the purchase of another of equal or greater value.